Life As We Now Know It
by scgirl-317
Summary: When the widow of his former partner is murdered, Ryan must pull double duty to find the killer and take care of her daughter.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Life As We Now Know It

Author: Morgan a.k.a. scgirl_317

Genre: Drama, family

Summary: When the widow of his former partner is murdered, Ryan must pull double duty to find the killer and take care of her daughter.

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><p>Ryan was in the lab filling out paperwork when a call came in, a murder in a suburban neighborhood. He traded out his lab coat for his jacket, and met Natalia out by the garage.<p>

"You got the address?" he asked, starting the Hummer.

"Yeah, 317 Jamison Avenue, out in Coral Gables," she replied, already plugging the address into the GPS. "Horatio's gonna meet us there."

"317 Jamison Avenue," Ryan softly repeated, the address familiar. "No, it can't be."

"You know the house?" Natalia asked, concerned at Ryan's reaction.

"I hope not," he said, turning out onto the road, praying that he was wrong.

Ryan's prayers went unanswered, as the house the GPS directed him to was one he was well familiar with. He grabbed his kit from the back of the Hummer and went into the house, bracing himself for what he might find.

The living room was spattered with blood, evidence of the violent crime. Ryan forced himself to look at the victim, and his heart broke when he saw that it was indeed Maria Hartfield that lay in the pool of blood.

"No, not her," he breathed, kneeling by the body.

"Mr. Wolfe, do you know this woman?" Horatio asked, coming to stand by him.

"Her husband was my partner when I was on patrol," Ryan replied. "He died last year, traffic stop gone bad. Their daughter… Oh no, Sofie."

Ryan bolted out of the room, running up the stairs to one of the bedrooms. Stopping to take a breath, he slowly opened the door, one hand automatically going to his gun.

"Sofie, are you in here? It's me, Ryan."

He heard shuffling come from the direction of the closet and stepped over to it. Opening the door revealed a terrified twelve-year-old. He holstered his piece, and knelt in front of her.

"It's okay, Sofie."

"Is Mom dead?" she asked, voice wavering as she hugged her knees tighter.

Ryan's throat tightened as he nodded. Sofie whimpered as a tear escaped down her cheek. His heart broke for the little girl. He couldn't imagine losing both parents in the space of a year.

"C'mere," he said softly, pulling her into his arms.

He rubbed her back, quietly soothing her as she cried. She held on to him tightly—no doubt afraid of losing him, also—as did he. He put on a brave front for her, but he was shaken. Ben and Maria Hartfield had been like family, and losing them was devastating.

A throat being cleared in the doorway brought Ryan back to reality. He looked up to see Natalia standing there, and she gestured to speak with him. Reluctantly, he disentangled himself from Sofie.

"Hey, I want you to meet a friend of mine," he said, pulling back. "This is Natalia. She's a CSI like me. Natalia, this is Sofie."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Sofie," Natalia said with a smile, but all she got was a nod in return.

"Listen, I need to talk to Natalia for a minute, but I'll be right back."

Sofie bit her lip, and Ryan could clearly see she wanted to object, but she nodded again, and left her spot next to him and sat on her bed. Even though it was only for a minute, Ryan hated to leave her. Sighing, he stood and followed Natalia out into the hall.

"What's up?" he asked, doing his best to reign in his emotions.

"Tom's bagging the body now," Natalia said, trying not to come off as callous. "Also, Horatio said that, because of your personal connection, you don't have to work the case."

"Yeah, I do," he insisted. "Maria was my partner's wife. Sofie's my goddaughter. I'm not about to let this guy get away."

Natalia nodded, wanting to argue, but knowing that with Ryan, it was futile to even try.

"Have you called Child Services?" she asked, deciding it best to change the subject.

"Child Services, what for?"

"Ryan, both of her parents are dead. She has to go into the custody of Child Services until the court assigns custody. It's standard procedure, you know that."

Ryan knew she was right, but the idea of forcing her to go into a group home, even temporarily, unsettled him.

"You call them. I'm gonna stay with her until they get here."

Natalia nodded, and turned back towards the stairs, already talking to Child Services. Not happy with what he had to do, he went back to Sofie. Her sobs had quieted, though some tears still managed to make their way out.

"Hey, how about we go out back, get some fresh air?" he asked, hoping for some response. All he got was a shrug, but at least it was some acknowledgement, and he took her hand and led her down the back stairs, away from the bloody living room.

"Sofie, there's something I need to tell you," he said as they sat on a bench on the back patio. "Someone from Child Services is on the way. You're gonna have to go stay with them for a little bit."

"What?" she asked, turning towards him and allowing him to see the fear she felt at the idea of being sent away. "No, please, Ryan, don't make me go!"

"I wish I didn't have to, believe me. But it'll only be for a little while, and I'll make sure you're okay. I'll check on you every day, and you can call me whenever you need to, okay?"

He could tell she was trying her best not to cry again, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him.

"It'll be okay, Lady Bug."

They sat like that for several minutes until Ryan realized that she had fallen asleep. A breeze had kicked up, so he took his jacket off and laid it over her as he slid her down to lay on his lap.

All too soon, a woman in a starched charcoal grey suit walked out.

"Officer Wolfe, I'm Cynthia Martin, Child Services," she introduced herself. "I take it this is the girl?"

"This is Sofie," he replied, none too pleased by her detached attitude.

"Of course. I'm going to need her to come with me."

Fighting the urge to tell to woman where she could shove it, he leaned down and gently stroked Sofie's hair.

"Wake up, Lady Bug, it's time to go."

"No," she protested, not moving.

"I wish you didn't have to, Sofie, but you have to go," Ryan sighed. "It's only for a little while, I promise."

Sofie sat up and threw her arms around his neck. Ryan knew that the longer she stayed, the harder it would be to make her go, but he was unable to force her away. Fortunately, she pulled back voluntarily.

"Promise you'll catch him."

It was less of a request and more of a command, one he readily accepted, "I will."

Somewhat satisfied, she turned to leave with Cynthia, still reluctant but assured that Ryan would make sure everything went as it was supposed to.

Ryan sat there and watched her round the house. He took a moment to gather himself before returning inside. Maria's body was gone, but the blood remained. A switchblade with Ben's initials engraved on the handle lay a few feet from where Maria had laid, evidence of her attempt to defend herself and her daughter. Horatio and Natalia were photographing and collecting evidence, taking care not to disturb the red pool on the floor.

"Child Services just picked up Sofie," he told them.

"How is she?" Natalia asked, genuinely concerned and sorry for her previous attitude.

"She just lost her only remaining parent, how do you think she is?" he snapped, and then cursed himself when she flinched. He shook his head, "Sorry, I'm just-"

"Ryan, you don't have to work the case if it's too close," Horatio advised.

"Thanks, H, but I promised Sofie I'd find her mother's killer," he protested. "So if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stick around."

Horatio nodded his acquiescence, and Ryan began taking samples from each blood spatter. There was a chance that Maria had managed to wound her attacker before being fatally shot.

Ryan could feel Horatio's gaze on him the entire time they were in the house. Ryan couldn't blame him; if he were in the lieutenant's shoes, he couldn't say he would do any different. However he was determined not to do anything to give Horatio a reason to remove him from the case.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan was thorough, meticulously cataloging the evidence. Calleigh had watched him for the past hour and a half as he made notations on even the smallest detail. He was working flawlessly, but she could tell that he was operating on something akin to autopilot. She had seen him like this before, but it had been years ago. The first year he was in the lab, he had double and triple checked his work, the only real evidence of OCD in his behavior. The attention to detail is what made him a great CSI, but Calleigh was worried that he would retreat too far into himself.

"Ryan, you need to take a break and relax," she softly told him.

"I'm fine," he protested, not meeting her gaze.

"Sweetie, you're gonna wear yourself out if you keep going at this pace."

"I have to-"

Ryan stopped. He honestly wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. For once, there was no clear course of action for him. The processed evidence lay on the table before him like a jigsaw puzzle. Usually, he could at least discern a corner to start from, but here, all the pieces looked the same.

Calleigh could tell he was at a loss, and that he needed a clear task, not just processing evidence with no definite mark.

"Horatio mentioned getting the husband's files from patrol, looking into anyone that might have some reason to come after Maria. Why don't you get started on that?" she suggested, because it needed to be done, and because Ryan needed a better defined task than what he was currently working on.

Somewhat relieved, he nodded and left for the floor that housed the patrol case files. Though it had been over six years since he had walked those halls, it looked as though nothing had changed. He went to the file room, presented the appropriate paperwork, and searched for Ben Hartfield's files. The man had been on the police force for fifteen years, and the number of arrests was astonishing. Six boxes were dedicated to his files alone.

Ryan pulled one out and looked at it. His throat tightened as he saw his name listed next to Hartfield's on one of the files. Almost everything he had learned about police work, he had learned from Ben. Ben had been patient with him, learning how to work with the younger man's OCD, instead of getting frustrated as their watch commander had. Ben had been the one who encouraged Ryan to talk to Horatio about becoming a CSI. One thing was for sure, Ryan seriously doubted he'd be where he was if it were not for Ben.

He took a deep breath, replaced the file in the box, and carried it out with him. He instructed the officer in the file room to have the other boxes sent up to the lab, and made his way back. This was going to be harder than he thought. Maybe Horatio was right in letting him sit this one out. No, he had promised Sofie he would find her mother's killer. He had to keep that promise. So Ryan steeled himself and began going through the files.

* * *

><p>Horatio had been slightly surprised when he received a call from Cynthia Martin, who said that Sofie claimed to remember something that she believed might help the case. He had offered to go to her, but Cynthia said that Sofie was insisting to go to the department.<p>

That led to him sitting in one of the interview rooms across from the young girl. She hadn't said a single word since walking in, and he couldn't blame her. Being in this place would do nothing but remind her of the parents she had lost. He wouldn't press her, but if she did know something, time was of the essence.

"Sofie, I'm Horatio Caine. Ms. Martin said you think you might be able to help us," he started gently.

"_Lieutenant_ Caine?" she asked quietly, tilting her head, but not meeting his eyes.

"That's right," he answered, curious as to how she knew his rank. "How did you know that?"

"Dad and Ryan would both talk about you a lot," she replied. "They both respect you a lot. You got Ryan his job as a CSI."

"That's right, I did. I knew you father. He was a good man."

Sofie sat there, chewing her lip for a moment before she spoke again, "I'll talk to Ryan."

"Sofie, you can say anything to Lieutenant Caine," Cynthia said, speaking from her seat next to the girl.

"Not yet," Sofie interrupted, leveling her gaze at Horatio. "I don't know you yet."

Horatio tried to suppress his smile as the social worker gasped at the girl's audacity. He quickly squelched the woman's apologies for Sofie's apparent rudeness.

"I'll go get Ryan," he told Sofie with a small smile.

Horatio found Ryan staring at the files spread across the table. He was sitting hunched over. His demeanor reminded him of how Ryan acted after being kidnapped by Russians.

"Mr. Wolfe?"

Ryan jumped slightly, unaware that Horatio had walked in. He looked as if he were about to reassure Horatio that he was fine, but then decided against it.

"I don't know if I can do this, H," he said quietly. "I thought I could. I promised her I would, but…" he trailed off, shaking his head as he looked at the table before him. "It hurts more than I thought it would."

"I see. Well, there is one thing I need you to do. Sofie's in Interview 3. She says she'll talk only to you."

Horatio need say no more, as Ryan was already walking past him. He followed Ryan to the interview room, but didn't enter. He watched with a smile as the girl reacted to Ryan's presence with a small smile.

"Hey, Sofie," Ryan greeted her with a smile. "I got it from here," he told Cynthia, knowing Sofie would be more willing to talk if the social worker was not present.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wolfe, but I can't-"

"Ms. Martin," Horatio intervened, "there's some paperwork that has to be filled out if Sofie's statement is to be used for a conviction. If you'll come with me, we can get started on that. She'll be in good hands with Mr. Wolfe."

Cynthia looked as if she was about to protest, but the matching looks she got from Horatio and Ryan told her it would be pointless. With a frustrated sigh, she gathered her things and followed Horatio out of the room.

"So it's just us," Ryan said with a grin, taking Cynthia's vacated seat. "How ya doin'?"

"About as well as could be expected, I guess," she said, giving a shuddering sigh. "I wanna help you catch this guy."

"Do you remember anything that could help?"

Sofie nodded, "I was sitting at the top of the stairs. I heard everything. I had been working on my homework when I heard a crash, downstairs. I went to the stairs to call to Mom, that's when I heard him yelling."

"Did you recognize the voice?" Ryan asked, taking notes.

She shook her head no, "I think he was after Dad. He said something about his brother, Dad arrested his brother, I think. His brother just messed up, he needed help. Instead they locked him up. It sounded like his brother had been killed in prison. He had just gotten out, he didn't know Dad was dead. Mom told him he'd been killed a year ago, begged him to leave. He said if he couldn't get Dad, he'd do the next best thing. That's when I heard the first shot, and I ran and hid in the closet."

Ryan set the pen down and pulled her to him. He hadn't realized she had heard the shots that took her mother's life, and the thought made him sick. His waning resolve to stay on the case rebounded, more determined than ever.

Sofie pulled back after a few moments and wiped a few tears from her face. She gave him a weak smile.

"Your shirt has tears on it now," she said with a frown.

"It'll dry," he replied, forcing the lump from his throat. "I need to get back to work. If you want, I can talk to Horatio about you staying here for now."

She nodded, and he stood, placing a kiss on her forehead. "All right, Lady Bug, take care."

He found Horatio standing by as Cynthia filled out the necessary paperwork. With a look, he called Horatio out into the hallway.

"Sofie heard everything," Ryan told him. "She didn't hear who it was, but she heard enough that finding the guy shouldn't be too hard. She said he had just gotten out of jail and was going after Ben, didn't know he was dead. Ben apparently arrested his little brother, and the kid got a harsher sentence than the crime deserved, or so this guy thought. The kid was killed in jail. The guy decided to kill Maria since he couldn't kill Ben."

"So we're looking for someone recently released whose bother was arrested by Officer Hartfield," Horatio concluded. "Good work, Mr. Wolfe."

"Not me, H. It was all Sofie," Ryan protested. "Listen, she's our only witness, so far, so I'm thinking it would be better to keep her in protective custody until we catch this guy."

Horatio knew Ryan was fishing, but he happened to agree. He could tell Sofie would rather be there than go back with the social worker.

"You may be right, Ryan. I'll see to it."

Ryan nodded in understanding and retuned to the lab. He then began the somewhat tedious process of cross referencing Ben's files with everyone released from the Dade State Penitentiary in the past two months. There was always the possibility that the killer had not been imprisoned in Miami, but Ryan refused to consider it.

Natalia joined him after a while, speaking only to ask for instructions. Ryan could tell she was sorry for her callousness earlier at the crime scene, and he appreciated it. He knew he had been about as approachable as a gator all day, but there would be time to be polite later.

"I think I got it," Natalia said excitedly, looking back and forth between the report in her hands and the computer screen. "Patrick McCain was paroled three weeks ago. He served ten years of a fifteen year sentence for grand theft auto and assault and battery. His younger brother, Matthew, was convicted ten months ago of felony possession with intent to distribute. He was knifed by one of the other inmates a month later."

"That fits what Sofie said," Ryan told her. "We gotta find this guy."

Natalia immediately did a search for anything—car, credit cards, bank accounts, anything—in Patrick McCain's name.

"Here, his credit card was used about an hour ago at a gas station off I-75 in Fort Lauderdale."

"An hour ago," Ryan noted, trying not to loose hope. "He's either to Boca Raton by now, or he's halfway across the glades."

The Everglades was the far less desirable of the two options. It was far too easy to disappear in the labyrinth of bogs and rivers. One man could easily vanish into thin air, never to be heard of ever again. Not knowing which way McCain went, all they could do was issue an APB and keep looking.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Glad folks seem to be enjoying this. Just a note, the case isn't really the main part of the story. Mostly just a plot device to move the story forward. Hope that doesn't disappoint you all too much. I'm more for character stories than procedurals (in case you couldn't tell). Okay, on with the story..._

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><p>Calleigh looked through the glass into the interview room where Sofie stood looking out the window, arms wrapped around herself in a sort of self-hug. After a moment, she entered. Sofie looked at her, then to the bag in her hand.<p>

"I thought you might be hungry," she said, holding up the bag to reveal the Fuddrucker's logo.

Sofie slowly approached, addressing the bag as the bomb squad might an explosive. She peeked in, and slowly raised the box out of the bag. A peek inside revealed a juicy burger to be the source of the smell, topped just like she liked. She cautiously took a bite, and the confused look she got made Calleigh have to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"How'd you know?" Sofie asked, shocked that someone would know to get an _ostrich_ burger, let alone top it the way she liked.

"I admit I had a little help," Calleigh shrugged, taking the seat across from Sofie. "Ryan told me about your more obscure tastes."

Sofie nodded, and lapsed back into silence. Calleigh let her finish the burger before speaking again.

"You looked pretty deep in thought when I walked in. Were you thinking about your parents?"

Sofie shook her head, the puzzled look returning, "I didn't get to finish my homework."

"Homework on a Saturday morning?" Calleigh asked, amazed.

"I would've done it yesterday, but Mom and I had tickets to the Bon Jovi concert, last night," Sofie defended herself.

"I always put that stuff off 'til Sunday evening," Calleigh replied, impressed at the girl's work ethic.

"Why? Then you spend all weekend dreading it, instead of just getting it over with so you can enjoy the free time."

"That's a good point. I wish I'd seen it that way when I was your age." Calleigh paused for a moment. "If you want, you can tell me what you need and I can have someone go back to your house and get your homework for you."

"Ryan knows where I keep everything," Sofie replied.

"You and Ryan are pretty close, huh?"

Sofie nodded, "I was two when he started working with Dad. Dad liked him, said he had potential to be a great cop, kinda folded him into the family, I guess. We've always gotten along great, even when I was really little. Ryan's always been there for everything big, even if he's just on the sidelines. State spelling bee, two years ago; ballet recital when I was six; Dad's funeral; now Mom's, I guess."

Sofie's voice drifted farther away toward the end, and Calleigh felt the need to reassure her.

"Hey, Ryan's gonna be with you, no doubt about that. I've seen how he cares about you through all of this. He's not gonna let anything happen to you."

Sofie nodded, though Calleigh knew she still felt extremely unsure as to her future. Calleigh could only hope that she had been right.

* * *

><p>Ryan felt like he had just won the lottery. McCain had indeed made the trek through the Everglades, but, wonder of all wonders, he was picked up in Naples for having a broken tail light. The officer who pulled him recognized McCain from the APB, and had swiftly taken him in. Naples PD was working on extraditing him back to Miami.<p>

Everyone in the lab felt confident they had more than enough to lock McCain away for a long time. The gun he had used to kill Maria was found in the glove compartment of the car he was driving, which he had stolen shortly after leaving the Hartfield house. They tracked down the owner who said he had been carjacked at gunpoint. Sofie's testimony was the final nail in the coffin.

The good news kept on coming. Maria's attorney, Jack Logan, was notified of her death, and Ryan was sure the man had set the record for a lawyer gathering paperwork. By Tuesday morning, Logan had her before a family court judge to make the transfer of custody official.

The judge appeared to be a kindly older man, mid fifties by Ryan's guess. Whiten his hair and beard and put him in a red suit, and he could be Santa Claus. Ryan had read up on the man before going into the court room, and had been pleased with his record.

Sofie sat next to Cynthia. She appeared to be trying to make herself as small as possible without hunching over. Ryan honestly didn't know why this was necessary, but Logan had had dealings with the social worker, and said she might cause trouble if there was anything that even looked askew.

"Mr. Logan, I understand this hearing is to expedite the transfer of custody of Sofia Hartfield. Is that correct?" the judge asked.

"Yes, sir. I have Maria Hartfield's will, and in it she stated that, should something happen to her prior to her daughter's eighteenth birthday, Sofia would be placed under the permanent custody of Ryan Wolfe, Sofia's godfather and CSI with the Miami-Dade Police Department."

"I see. Ms Martin, do you have anything to say about this?" the judge asked, knowing she'd have something to say.

"Your honor, while Mr. Wolfe may be a family friend, Social Services is not in the habit of splitting up families, and we suggest placing her under the custody of a relative," Cynthia stated in what Ryan was sure was her best "I know better than you, so shut up" voice.

"Your honor, if I may?" Logan interjected. The judge nodded, and he continued, "That policy may work very well in most situations. However, if Ms. Martin had bothered to do her homework, she would have realized that there is no other family. Ben Hartfield was an only child, and his parents died several years before Sofia was born. Maria Hartfield emigrated from Cuba when she was eighteen, and all of her family is still there. I can't think of any reason legal, moral, or ethical to subject a twelve-year-old girl who just lost her parents to life in a communist regime. Can you?"

It was all Ryan could do to keep from jumping up and cheering at that. Logan was good. He glanced over at Cynthia and suppressed a smile when he saw that she had paled several shades. He didn't envy her the dressing down she would undoubtedly receive when she returned to the office.

The judge smiled, "No, I can't. And on that, I hereby rule in favor of the deceased's will. Custody of Sofia Hartfield will go to Ryan Wolfe, effective immediately. Make sure you take care of her, young man." He banged the gavel on the podium with finality, "Next case."

Sofie hardly needed to be told twice, and launched herself at Ryan. Though the circumstances were less than desirable, the outcome was better than he could have hoped for. Hand-in-hand with matching smiles, they made their way out to Ryan's car. When they got there, they found Natalia leaning up against the driver's side door.

"Hi," Ryan greeted, puzzled as to why she was there.

"Hey, I take it things went well?" she asked, straightening from her slouched position.

"Better than well," he replied, giving Sofie's shoulder a squeeze. "Not to sound rude or anything, but why are you here?"

"Well, we thought that if things went south, you might want some company, and if things went well, you'd want to celebrate," she explained.

"'We'? Who's 'we'?"

"I think she's talking about the rest of your team," Sofie pointed out, and Natalia nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just the look-out. Everyone else is at your place waiting to hear from me."

Ryan looked at Sofie, "Whaddya say, kiddo?"

Sofie looked up at Ryan then over at Natalia, and a smile spread across her face, "Call 'em!"

The rest of the night was spent in laughter and smiles, as the rest of the team got to know Sofie better. She particularly got along well with Walter. She bonded with Eric, as her mother was from the same town as his mother. Natalia and Calleigh discretely doted on her. She knew, but she let them. And as always, Horatio was there, joining in on the conversation every now and then but always keeping a watchful eye on his people. Sofie drew laughs from everyone when she looked at Horatio and plainly stated, "I like you." Horatio smiled as he remembered their first meeting the other day. The look she gave him said she was thinking of the same.

It was nine thirty that night when they noticed Sofie had fallen asleep curled up on the couch next to Ryan. With a smile, he slowly stood and carried her to his bedroom. He tucked her underneath the blanket and softly closed the door. He came back out to the living room and sat on the couch with a sigh.

"So what's next?" Eric asked softly.

"Maria's funeral's tomorrow," Ryan replied. "I just want to get through that before I think about anything else."

"Is Sofie moving here, or are you moving there?" Calleigh asked.

"Sofie's moving here," he said. "We agreed, and she didn't think she could stand to walk past where her mother had been shot, every day. After the funeral, we're gonna pack up her stuff and she's moving into the spare bedroom."

There was not much left to be said after that. They could tell that the past few days had worn Ryan out, so they soon said goodnight and left him to rest. He stood and walked back to his room. He quietly went through to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and dressed for bed. He walked back into the room, placed his clothes in the hamper, and stood watching Sofie as she slept. She looked so peaceful, as if the turmoil of the past few days had not taken place. He placed a light kiss on her forehead before grabbing a pillow and going to sleep on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning dawned wet and dreary. The rain seemed oddly appropriate. Sofie stood silent as her mother's coffin was lowered into the ground, tears quietly making tracks down her cheeks. Ryan stood next to her, brow furrowed in a frown.

The coffin reached the concrete vault, and the mourners began departing. Most stopped at Sofie, offering sympathy and assistance, some even meant it. To the two by the grave, however, they were hollow promises given from shallow emotions.

Ryan and Sofie left as the cemetery workers began filling in the grave. The ride back to Ryan's house was silent, the only noise coming from the windshield wipers. Both were dreading what lay before them, namely, returning to the Hartfield house to pack up Sofie's things.

Neither expected to see anyone at Ryan's house, but there the cars were. The same cars that had been there yesterday. Confused, Ryan opened the front door and was met by sounds coming from down the hallway. He and Sofie traded a look before venturing further.

"The bed needs to go over there." Sounded like Natalia.

"Why? It's perfectly fine right here." Had to be Walter.

"Her desk needs to go against that wall, the light's better there." Calleigh, of course.

"Walter, just move the bed." That came from Eric, who was apparently in the attic, judging from the scuffling Ryan heard above the ceiling.

Ryan and Sofie reached the door in time to see Natalia and Walter maneuver the bed against the wall. There were boxes stacked everywhere, the mattress and box springs leaned against one wall next to the five-drawer chest and opposite the compact desk.

"What is going on here?" Ryan asked.

They all stopped and looked at him.

"What does it look like? We're moving furniture," Walter answered.

"I can see that, but…"

"We thought you might not want to go back there, especially right after the funeral," Calleigh explained. "So we packed up Sofie's room and brought it over while you were gone. All you have to do is unpack. This way, there's no rush to go back to the house, and you can go back when you feel ready."

Overwhelmed that someone would do something like this for her, Sofie rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Calleigh's waist. Ryan stayed back by the doorway, still trying to process what had happened.

"When did you have time to pack this stuff up?"

"We went over to the Hartfield house after we left you, last night," Eric said, climbing down from the attic followed by Horatio.

Ryan almost did a double take. The lieutenant's signature suit was conspicuously absent, and he instead wore khakis and a golf shirt.

"We also grabbed all the photos we could find," he added.

"Thanks, H," Ryan managed to say, the lump in his throat constricting his ability to speak.

They offered to help Sofie unpack. Since all the heavy lifting was already done, all that was really left was for her to decide what to put where, but she graciously accepted. Anything to keep her mind off of where she had been earlier that day. Natalia and Calleigh stayed with Sofie while Eric showed Ryan where in the attic they had stowed what little had previously taken up the room. Walter and Horatio left to pick up something for dinner.

With the three females working together, it didn't take too long for the room to look like Sofie lived there. In less than an hour, all of her clothes and books had been unpacked. There were various little things to place around, but the majority of the boxes were unpacked by the time Horatio and Walter got back.

The Chinese food was distributed amongst them, and they made sure to keep the conversation light. After dinner, Sofie and Ryan insisted that they could handle the rest on their own, so everyone else bid them good night.

Sofie retreated to her room to continue while Ryan put up what was left of the food. Once everything was up, he found Sofie sitting on her bed staring a picture of her with her parents. Quietly, he went and sat next to her and waited for her to speak.

"They're gone," she finally said so softly he almost missed it. "It's just me."

"Now, that's where you're wrong," he protested, placing in her hands a photo he had found earlier.

It was a picture that had been taken on her last birthday. Ryan had surprised her, swept her up in his arms, and dipped her so far down he had almost lost his grip. She had her head back, laughing, and her arms wrapped around Ryan's neck. His smile matched hers.

"You still got me," he said softly. "And I dare say you have the entire day shift wrapped around your little finger. You'll never be alone."

Ryan wrapped his arms around her as she mourned the loss of her parents. He silently grieved as well, the loss of his friends as painful as if they had been real family. It would be hard for both of them for a while, but he knew that they would get through this.

* * *

><p>The next few days were spent finding a new rhythm to life. Despite Ryan's protests, Sofie insisted on returning to school the day after the funeral. He knew that she wanted to get back on the horse and return to whatever remained of her life, but a part of him wondered if she didn't need to take a minute to catch her breath.<p>

He let her have her way, in the end, unable to bring himself to be too forceful with her. For a while, she seemed to be okay, all things considered. They settled into a routine: Ryan would drop her of at school on his way to the lab, she would come to the lab after school let out, use an empty room to do her homework, then the two of them would go home and fix dinner together. Sofie would tell him about school, but only at his questioning her about it. When the weekend came around, he tried to get her to go out with him, but she refused, opting to instead get ahead on her homework.

For a time, he allowed this, rationalizing it by saying that she was simply adjusting to the changes in her life. But after two months with no change in this routine, he began to worry that something more sinister was the cause of her melancholy.

His concern was evident to his colleagues. Eric and Calleigh traded looks, each wondering what they could do to help. Natalia knew the denial and eventual tailspin that trauma could send an adult into, and could only imagine how much worse it could get for a child. She didn't want to see that happen to Sofie. Formulating a plan, she approached Ryan about it as they worked in the lab.

"You're more than welcome to try to talk to her, but if she won't talk to me, I don't think you'll have much more luck," he replied to her offer.

"You're probably just too close," Natalia explained. "You've known her and her family almost her entire life. You remind her of what she's lost. I'm someone completely separate from all of that. People are more likely to open up to an impartial third party."

Ryan ceded this point, and Natalia agreed to pick Sofie up from school the next day and spend the afternoon with her. He hoped she would be able to get through to her, because he had no idea what to do.

* * *

><p>Natalia leaned against her car, waiting as the kids spilled out of the school and keeping a sharp eye out for Sofie. She somehow managed to catch her walking out by herself, shoulders hunched and head lowered, almost as if she was trying to be invisible.<p>

"Sofie!" she called out, causing the girl to raise her head.

A confused look covered Sofie's face as she registered who it was that was calling to her. "Ms. Boa Vista?"

"How many times have I told you to call me 'Natalia'?" she playfully scolded. "I thought we could have a girl's day out, this afternoon."

"Thanks, but I need to get my homework done," Sofie declined, not meeting Natalia's gaze.

The CSI would not be moved, however. "Now, I know for a fact that you have completed almost all of your homework for the rest of the school year. I think you have earned an afternoon of fun."

Reluctantly, Sofie placed her backpack in the back of Natalia's car, and climbed in. Natalia knew she wouldn't get much of a response, but she still asked what she wanted to do. In the end, Natalia drove to the park. There was an ice cream stand near when she parked, and she suggested they get some. Again, she garnered little response, but she went anyway, getting a scoop of coffee ice cream for herself and chocolate for Sofie.

Despite the nice weather, there were relatively few people in the park, that day. Natalia was glad, because it meant that Sofie might be more willing to open up. Though, that might not be saying much. After several feeble attempts at trying to get her to talk, Natalia decided to get directly to the point.

"We're all worried about you, Sofie, especially Ryan. You haven't talked to him about anything, not just what happened, and he's worried that there might be something else going on."

"Not much for me to say," Sofie deflected with a shrug.

"Come on, Sofie, you two used to talk about everything. Now, he's lucky to get three words out of you in a day, and that's only after resorting to near interrogation. What is going on?"

The girl would not budge, but her resistance only served to fuel the fire that drove Natalia's resolve. She continued pressing.

"Look, I know you're hurt and upset, but Ryan is doing his single best to make sure you have a good life. There are people who genuinely care about you. But you seem to be doing your darnedest to isolate yourself and be miserable."

That got a reaction.

"What do you know? I heard my mother get shot! I had to bury both my parents in less than a year. There's no way you can know how that feels! So why don't you all just leave me alone, okay?"

"You're right, I don't know what that feels like," Natalia replied softly. "But I do know what it feels like to be angry about something that's beyond your control. My ex-husband beat me for several years before I finally had him arrested. He's been dead for almost four years, but I still can't seem to get him out of my head. No matter what I do, Nick is still there in the back of my mind, taunting me, telling me I'm no good. I haven't been able to have a stable relationship in years because of him."

"Dad's supposed to be here," Sofie said quietly, but Natalia could hear the pent up anger in her voice. "He said he'd never leave me. He saw there was a BOLO on the guy's tag. He should have called for backup, but he went after him alone, and he got killed because of it. And then some guy whose brother Dad arrested comes after us and kills Mom. It's all his fault. It's Dad's fault I'm alone."

"Sofie, your dad was a cop. I'm sure he didn't go out looking for trouble, but he went to work everyday knowing he might not come back. But he did it because he wanted you and your mom to be safe. He wouldn't be the man you loved so much if he hadn't. He had no way of knowing that Patrick McCain would come after you. All he ever wanted was to protect you."

Natalia could see that Sofie knew she was right, but the girl was grieving and she needed someone to be mad at. Her father seemed as good as anyone.

"I'm not telling you not to be upset, but try cutting Ryan a little slack, okay? He loves you and wants you to be happy, and you shutting him out is really hurting him. You don't have to do anything drastic, but you could offer information about your day without him having to drag it out of you."

Deciding that enough had been said, Natalia let the girl lapse into silence. She thought she'd been able to reach her, but only time would tell.

* * *

><p>Ryan was fixing dinner when Natalia dropped Sofie off. She stayed long enough to give him an encouraging smile, and then quietly left. Ryan hoped that meant she had gotten through to Sofie.<p>

He was pleasantly surprised when he saw that she returned to the kitchen after putting her school books in her room. Usually, she would stay tucked away until he pulled her out. Taking that as a good sign, he decided to press on.

"You and Natalia have a nice afternoon?"

"Yeah."

At first, Sofie was not going to say more, but Natalia's words came back to her. She hated hurting Ryan, especially after all he had done for her, so she continued.

"We went to the park, got some ice cream, then just walked around for a while. It's a nice day."

Relief flooded him, and he tried to control the grin that came to his face.

"Yeah, it is. I'm almost done here. I was thinking we could eat out on the patio."

Sofie nodded, and began getting out the plates, flatware, and filling glasses with tea from the pitcher in the fridge. Ryan put the finishing touches on the chicken and vegetables he'd been stir frying and then served it up, handing a plate to Sofie and taking the other himself.

They ate in relative silence, but Sofie did offer some conversation without being coaxed. Ryan made a mental note to thank Natalia the next day for whatever it was she had said.

* * *

><p>Slowly but surely, Sofie began climbing out of the cloud that had hung over her since her mother's death. The morning after her talk with Natalia, she got up early to help Ryan with breakfast. She even talked about things at school as he went to drop her off. He was thrilled as she offered him a smile when she got out of the car, the first real smile he'd seen in several months.<p>

As he was putting his things in his locker, Natalia walked in.

"Hey, how'd things go, this morning?" she asked.

"Good, better than they have in a while, I'll tell you that much."

"Well, I'm glad."

Natalia turned around to her locker as Ryan closed his. He paused before turning back.

"Thank you. I don't know what it was you said to her, but I really appreciate it. Thank you."

She looked back at Ryan, "All I told her was the truth, that she has people that love her, and that she was hurting you by shutting you out. Besides, it's nothing you wouldn't have done for any of us, if the roles were reversed."

"All the same," he said, turning to head to the lab.

When Sofie showed up at the lab that afternoon, Ryan found her not doing homework, but with her nose buried in an Agatha Christie novel. He took that as a good sign, and chose not to disturb her.

It was another quiet day, and Ryan managed to leave work at a reasonable hour. Instead of cooking dinner, Sofie suggested they get a pizza. This was more than she would have done a week ago, and Ryan agreed. As they waited for the pizza, she told him about her day. They actually had a full conversation, the first since she'd moved in with him.

The next day was Saturday, and Ryan was off, so as they ate, they made plans. Sofie was far from her normal chipper, outgoing self, but Ryan was now sure that she would make it out, and he could relax.


	5. Chapter 5

Another two months passed. Sofie's closeted nature began receding, and she began laughing more and more. She began spending the afternoons with her friends instead of at the lab. Ryan noticed his telephone bill gradually increasing. He was going to have to have a talk with her about that.

Her birthday was creeping up, but first, they had to get through Patrick McCain's trail. The District Attorney wanted Sofie to testify, but Ryan didn't want to put her through that. Horatio came up with a compromise: Sofie's statement would be recorded on video to be played at the trial. That way, she wouldn't have to enter the courtroom.

The Assistant District Attorney handling the case reluctantly agreed, and the week before the trial, Ryan took Sofie to the courthouse. Ryan was told to wait outside while the attorneys took their turns questioning her. He wished he could be in there with her, but he had worked in law enforcement long enough to know how the system worked.

When she came out, he could tell she was trying not to cry, and he quickly steered her out of the building. She was quiet during the drive home, and Ryan let her be, at least for the moment. He was not about to let her drift away into another blue funk.

Neither wanted anything big for dinner, so Ryan pulled out the leftover Chinese food and set it on the coffee table. Sofie reached for the box of General Tso's chicken and sat on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.

"You know, I could be mistaken, but I think May twenty-fifth is coming up, and I recall that's a pretty big day," he said, finally speaking.

"If you're trying to ask what I want for my birthday, you suck at subtlety," Sofie dryly replied.

"Hey, you don't give me much to work with," he countered, glad that she seemed to be shaking off the gloom from the day.

"To be honest, I haven't really thought about it," she said with a shrug. "I've been trying to ignore it. This will be my first birthday without…"

"Without your parents," Ryan finished, wrapping an arm around her. "I get it. Tell you what. I'll figure something out myself, not sure what, but it'll be nothing but good memories."

* * *

><p>Ryan sat in the courtroom a week later as the jury filed in. It was an open and shut case, even without Sofie's testimony, but hers was the final nail in the coffin. The defense made a definite effort, but it was no use. It took a little over a day to go over the evidence against McCain, and the jury took less than three hours to deliberate.<p>

As the judge asked if the jury had reached a decision, Ryan felt someone slide in next to him. He looked over to see Natalia, who simply gave him a small smile before turning her attention to the front of the court room.

"Madam Forewoman, will you read the jury's decision?"

A well put-together woman in a suit stood at one end of the jury box, holding a paper in front of her.

"On the count of first-degree murder, we the jury find the defendant guilty."

Ryan released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, relieved that it was finally over. The woman continued with a string of smaller charges, from car-jacking to felony possession of a firearm. The judge declared the sentencing to take place the next morning, but all things considered, McCain would be lucky to get away with a life sentence.

Ryan waited until he had left the courtroom to fully relax. Natalia noted this and placed a hand on his arm.

"Judge Warren's a good man. You know he won't let McCain get away with anything less than a life sentence. Sofie doesn't have to worry about him, anymore."

"I'm just glad it's over," Ryan sighed. "Now I just get to worry about things like what the heck I'm gonna do for Sofie's birthday."

"Thirteen's a big one for a girl," Natalia added, smiling at Ryan's frustration. She paused for a minute, then asked, "Would you like some help?"

"Yes, please!" Ryan all but begged. "I've drawn a blank."

"Tell you what. I know this guy who runs one of those 'swim with the dolphins' places out in Key Biscayne who owes me a serious favor. I'll call him and see if we can set something up."

"Do I even want to know?" Ryan asked as they walked out to the parking lot.

"He set me up on a blind date," she said. "Worst date I've ever been on, and to top it all off, the guy was gay. How he missed that, I have no idea."

Ryan couldn't help but laugh at Natalia's exasperation, the tension rolling away.

"Yeah, sounds like this guy owes you," he chuckled. "Tell him we'll have a group of four."

"Four?" she asked.

"You, me, Sofie, and one of her friends," he explained as if it was obvious.

"Right, gotcha," she backpedaled, trying to keep the color from rising too far into her cheeks. "I'll call him and let you know when it's set up."

"All right. I'll see you later," he said as she got into her car, then continued on to his.

Horatio had given him the rest of the day off, so he went home to get some cleaning done. That was something that never really happened when Sofie was home, but he wasn't about to complain. Three loads of laundry, a stack of bills, and a wiped down kitchen later, Ryan sat on the couch, relaxing a bit before Sofie got home and they started on dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

The twenty-fifth of May arrived, and as luck would have it, it fell on a Saturday. Natalia arrived at Ryan's house that morning, and had breakfast with them.

Ryan tried to maintain his composure, but the outfit Natalia was wearing had him strung tighter than a bow, something he could not explain. She was dressed for a day at the beach—a white broom skirt and robin's egg blue top covering a floral bathing suit that peeked out around her neck—but something about her made his heart beat double time. Unbeknownst to him, Natalia was having much the same reaction. Ryan wore a pastel-toned plaid button-up over a white tee shirt with khaki Bermudas, and Natalia found that far more attractive than his work clothes.

Neither had any intention of letting the other know how they felt, partly because it was not the time nor place for such declarations, but mostly because both were afraid of the repercussions it might have on their friendship. So the two adults suffered secretly. Or so they thought.

Sofie was far more perceptive than most people gave her credit for. She had noticed for some time that whenever something big happened with one of them, the other was there to either celebrate or console, whichever was appropriate. She had been thrilled to learn Natalia would be joining them for her birthday. Yes, she enjoyed the woman's company—Natalia fit the role of the cool aunt or grown up older sister perfectly, and the two always had fun on their days out together—but this would give her a chance to observe the two adults in a purely casual environment, away from anything work related. The looks they were giving each other now was simply more proof that the two belonged together.

A plan began forming in her head as they left, stopping to pick up one of Sofie's friends before making the drive over to Key Biscayne. The more she developed her plan, the more excited she became, and was glad she could use her birthday as a cover for said excitement. By the time they had reached their destination, all but a few details had been worked out, and she couldn't wait to take her plan from theory to action.

That would have to wait until tomorrow, though. Today was supposed to be all about her, and she doubted she could get away with much more scheming.

There was a prevailing dolphin obsession surrounding Miami, and it fed the already thriving business of letting the public swim with sea creatures such as dolphins. Most of these places were in an enclosed area, but the one that Natalia directed them to opened up to the Bay of Biscayne.

The four spent several hours in the water with the playful creatures. When their time ran out, they stayed out on the island instead of returning to Miami. Ryan and Natalia spread a blanket on the beach as Sofie and Chloe wandered down the shore.

"I can tell your brain's been somewhere else, all day," Chloe smirked, glad to have her best friend back. "What've you been working on?"

"I'm pulling out my magic wand and playing fairy godmother," Sofie replied. "This is only the beginning. I'll tell you what I've worked out, so far."

Ryan watched as the two girls talked further down the beach. He was glad Sofie seemed to be enjoying herself. With a smile, he stretched out his legs and leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Thanks, Natalia."

"What for?" she asked, matching his posture.

"For setting this up," he replied. "I haven't seen her this happy in a long time. I don't know if I would have come up with something like this. So thank you."

"Hey, you're no the only one who cares about Sofie. We all want to see her happy. She means a lot to all of us."

Ryan turned to Natalia, suddenly noticing their close proximity. Natalia had replaced her skirt after getting out of the water, but she had chosen to forego the top, and the extra exposed skin made Ryan's heart beat faster. Natalia felt her temperature rise as she came to the same realization as Ryan. His white tee had been discarded, and the button-up hung open.

Almost unconsciously, the two began leaning in towards the other. Ryan felt his lips meet Natalia's, but it was almost as if he was not the one controlling his actions. It was a soft kiss, somewhat like dipping a toe in the water to test the temperature before jumping in.

Ryan pulled back after a moment and met Natalia's eyes. Both had looks of slight shock, but neither could say that it wasn't nice. Ryan took a breath and pulled her closer to kiss her again, this time with far more passion.

Neither noticed Sofie clamp a hand over her mouth to mute the squeal of delight that almost escaped.

After another couple hours spent on the beach, the four headed back for the mainland. Sofie couldn't help the giant grin that was plastered on her face as she caught the glances going back and forth between the two adults. Maybe she wouldn't need to put her plan into action, after all. She was not one bit upset about that.

After dropping Chloe back at home, Ryan turned and headed for the park between their house and the lab. Sofie looked out the window, unaware of where they were headed.

"Uh, guys? Did I miss something?" she asked, only knowing that they were not headed back to Ryan's house.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? We have to make one more stop before heading back," Ryan replied, feigning innocence.

Sofie knew there was more he wasn't telling her, but she didn't push, knowing it would all come out in the end. She was proven correct as she recognized the drive leading to the park. Her curiosity increased as he pulled in to the public parking lot that had access to the park. That soon passed, however, when they approached the picnic area.

A large sign reading, "Happy Birthday Sofie" hung in the trees shading the tables. A cake that she swore took up a third of the table could be seen under the clear cover, embellished with fingerprints, magnifying glasses, body outlines in various positions, and crime scene tape. Three pizzas and a stack of gifts covered the remainder of the table. The givers were the remainder of the day shift team, all standing on either side.

"Happy birthday, Sofe," Ryan said softly as she took it all in.

He was rather pleased with himself that he had managed to keep this part a secret. After Natalia had arranged their trip to Key Biscayne, he had felt that something was missing. It soon dawned on him that much of Sofie's life revolved around the crime lab. She still frequently spent her afternoons there—though not as often as she had right after coming to live with Ryan—and she had made it no secret that she wanted to be a CSI when she grew up. While that day was coming far too quickly for Ryan's taste, he was glad that what had happened to her parents had not put her off police work forever. So what better way to end her birthday than to spend it with the CSI's? The look on her face was enough to tell him he had been right.

Ryan sat back with Natalia and watched with amusement as Sofie engaged Walter in a heated debate regarding the latest episode of _Law & Order: Criminal Intent_. Personally, Ryan had enough of criminal investigations at work, but Sofie took in every detail to later compare with reality, sifting through fact and fiction with impressive accuracy.

Natalia noticed the look on Ryan's face and nudged his shoulder with hers, "Hey, mind rejoining us?"

Ryan shook himself as he realized he had drifted off, "Oh, yeah, sorry."

"Where were you?"

"Just thinking about Sofie, how far she's come in the last few months. Looking at her now, you'd never know she lost her mother four months ago."

"She has you to thank for that, you know," Natalia said, lacing her fingers through his.

Ryan looked down at their hands. He knew he would have to figure out what exactly had happened between them, today, but he was enjoying the feel of her this close to him far too much to worry about that now.

"Well, I had some help," he replied, meeting her eyes and lifting her hand to place a kiss against the back, though he much had much rather kiss her lips instead.

Sofie caught this motion out of the corner of her eye, and pointed it out to Walter. The latter's eyes widened slightly, but then he exclaimed, "It's about time!"

This made Ryan and Natalia jump slightly, both blushing profusely.

"Busted," chimed in Eric, who was grinning widely at his friend's expense.

"No point in denying it, I saw you two kiss on the beach earlier!" Sofie headed off the protests she could see Ryan developing.

"Oh really?" Calleigh asked, her curiosity fully piqued. "Do tell."

Ryan simply glared back, though he turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Well, I'm happy for you two," Calleigh continued. "I've wondered how long you two would dance around your obvious attraction."

"Obvious to everyone else but us, apparently," Natalia noted, the red fading from her cheeks.

Horatio simply smiled, silently watching over his team, as usual. Eventually, he would need to talk to Ryan and Natalia about whatever it was that was developing between them—if he didn't, IA would, and Ryan was still on sore terms with IA after the incident with Stetler a year ago—but for now, he'd let them enjoy what they had. They deserved some happiness, for once.

As the sun set, the trash was gathered and the gifts and what little food remained was placed in Ryan's car. Sofie's eyelids were drooping, the excitement of the day finally having drained the last of her energy, but she still protested when Eric led her to the car. Goodbye's were said, and Ryan made the short drive back to his house. Sofie had fallen asleep in the few minutes it had taken to get there, so Ryan gently carried her inside and back to her room while Natalia started unloading the car.

Once everything was put away, Ryan hesitantly asked Natalia if she wanted to stay for a little while longer, to which she nodded. They now sat on the couch, Natalia sitting with her feet tucked underneath her, leaning into Ryan.

"Today was great," he said. "I don't think I've seen her have that much fun in a long time. At least, not since Ben died. For the first time since this all started, I really believe she's gonna be okay."

They sat there considering that. They both knew it would be a long while yet before Sofie fully recovered from her parents' death, but today had told them that she would indeed recover. Patience and love would go a long way to helping, and that was something they knew they had in abundance.

At least, they did for Sofie.

_Fin._

* * *

><p><em>AN: I'd like to thank everyone for reading this. I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. At some point, I plan on writing another story with Sofie, because I can't just leave a BoaWolfe setup that perfect dangling. However, my muse needs a break from all the _CSI: Miami_ fics I've written recently, and the summer hiatus always has a negative effect on my muse. I have several other projects I'm currently working on that you will hopefully be hearing from in the not-too-distant future: one crossover and a couple re-writes of stories I wrote five million years ago when I was thirteen that suck in their current state but are actually decent story lines. Hopefully, I'll manage to rework those to a publishable point. So there you have it. And until I post something new, please feel free to browse my other stories and let me know what you think!  
><em>


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